The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) was delighted to host the 2023 Sue Salthouse Memorial Lecture on 5th December 2023.

This year's keynote address was delivered by Emma Bennison, Chief Innovation Officer at Life Without Barriers, a leading social purpose organisation working in more than 300 communities across Australia. As CIO, she drives the development and implementation of strategic change and engagement initiatives in relation to disability advocacy and community services delivery across Life Without Barriers and beyond. Prior to her current role, Emma completed five years as CEO of Blind Citizens Australia, revitalising the national representative organisation of Australians who are blind or vision impaired. Emma also chairs the Attitude Foundation, which is shaping a new understanding of disability through the promotion and development of media content that provides realistic portrayals of people with disability. She also serves on Tasmania’s Ministerial Arts and Cultural Advisory Council. In 2020, Emma won the national Aspire Award for community development and advocacy and was the recipient of a full MBA scholarship for outstanding not-for-profit leaders from the Australian Scholarships Foundation and Kaplan Business School.

This event honours Sue Salthouse and her unfailing commitment to disability advocacy and human rights, celebrating the huge contributions she made to improving the accessibility of telecommunications for people with disability in Australia.